Acceptance
by wencho17
Summary: If anybody deserved to be stabbed in the back by someone he trusted than it was Seth Rollins, because its true what they say about karma. However, for as much as he may have deserved it, Randy Orton just couldn't allow himself to enjoy Seth's pain even though he tried. That's because he knew all too well what it felt like to be betrayed by his mentor, his idol, his friend. One-shot


**Just another one-shot idea that came to mind after Triple H pedigreed Seth Rollins on Raw. Enjoy!**

" _And your new Universal Champion, Kevin Owwwweeeennnsss!"_

The first thought that went through Seth Rollins' head as he lay basically motionless in the corner of the ring was that he was going to have to go see a doctor to get his hearing checked. Because it sounded like they were saying Kevin Owens, that Kevin Owens had just won the title. But there was no way that could have been the case, could it?

As the sound of the ring announcer's voice began to come back into focus, Seth heard the words again, clear as day this time. Not to mention, the room had finally stopped spinning from whatever it was that caused him to be dropped on his head with so much vicious force. He was finally starting to make out the other two men in the ring with him and he didn't at all like or understand the scene that was unfolding before his very eyes.

Triple H was handing Kevin Owens the belt, his belt.

Seth blinked a few times. Maybe it wasn't just his hearing but his vision that needed to be checked too because there was no way that what was happening was real. That's when it dawned on him. His head was throbbing and his vision was still kind of blurry. He must have gotten a concussion. That would explain why he was hearing what he was hearing and seeing what he was seeing.

It was after all, the only sensible explanation and in addition, was the only one Seth cared to acknowledge.

The former two-time WWE champion continued to try to figure out what was happening. The crowd seemed to be split about 50/50, with some cheering for the new champion and others booing the man who decided the outcome. None however seemed to be saying his name, whether it be with praise on the lips or venom on the tongue. It was like he was a non-factor, like all of this was some weird out of body experience.

But the chants, they weren't going away, and Triple H's smile as he raised Kevin Owens' arm in victory, that wasn't going away either.

Seth used every last ounce of strength he had left to prop himself against the ropes and that's when he finally allowed himself to look at the pair, finally allowed himself to meet the gaze and smug, deceitful smile of Raw's former COO. That's when Seth knew this wasn't a joke. That this wasn't some concussion induced vision but rather exactly what every instinct in his body was trying to deny it was. Triple H, his friend, his mentor, the man he regarded as a father figure, had in fact pedigreed him into the mat and had in fact chosen Kevin Owens over himself, effectively ending any relationship the two ever had.

Just like that the anger kicked in and he wanted to punch something, more specifically someone. But seeing as he was emotionally and physically exhausted, that would have to wait. In the meantime, there was something else he wanted and that was an explanation.

Harsh brown eyes met soft blue ones as Seth walked over to where Stephanie and Mick Foley were standing dumbfounded. Seth needed someone to blame and the wife of the man who had just betrayed him seemed like the perfect place to start. Not for one second did he believe she had nothing to do with this, that she didn't know exactly what was going to happen. She had betrayed him as much as Hunter had and for some reason that seemed to be bothering him more.

This was a woman who had once referred to him as like the son she never had, this was somebody who had supported him and nurtured him and quite honestly, helped him become the wrestler and the man he was today. Sure Hunter had been his mentor, his idol, but Stephanie was in many ways his rock. To find out he couldn't trust her and for her to hurt him in such a way, that crushed him.

Depression replaced anger as Seth confronted Stephanie, both with tears in their eyes. His were real though and as far as he was concerned, hers were nothing more than a cruel way to mock him and cause him even more pain than he had already been feeling. She was merely playing the part, acting every bit as stunned as he was. But he knew her too well that he saw right through it. She had always been the dutiful wife, the loving spouse and this was no different.

The ease to which she was able to lie to him however, with not even a hint of remorse, probably hurt him more than anything. She had already stabbed him in the back. There was no need to lie to his face about it too. At the very least for what they had meant to each other, Seth thought he was owed that decency, that respect.

Watching her fake show of sympathy was making it too hard for him to be out there, so Seth headed to the back, not so much as making eye contact with a single employee or fellow superstar he passed. Some had tried to offer their condolences or more likely their sentiments that he deserved what had happened to him, but he ignored them and just kept his head down.

If only there was something he could have done, Seth thought to himself. If only he could have talked to Triple H and Stephanie beforehand, to convince them that he was still the guy he was before his injury. If they had just been honest with him that he didn't fit into their plans anymore he would have shown them. He would have let his actions speak for themselves. He would have won back their respect, their admiration, their support, their love.

As stupid as it sounded, he would have given everything to be back in their good graces. That's how much he wanted, no, needed, to believe he was worth something in their eyes again.

Seth made his way to the locker room, fortunate that the last few stragglers were packing up and leaving for the night. That meant he would have the space to himself to do some much needed thinking, to process what had happened, to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew. And most dauntingly to accept that for the first time in his WWE career, he'd be moving forward without brothers or a family by his side. For the first time, he'd be doing things alone.

While the prospect of that scared the hell out of him, tonight it was exactly what he needed.

Sitting down on the bench in the middle of the room, Seth exhaled deeply, slowly, and just ran his fingers continuously though his hair. His head was still pounding though, the cruelest of physical and emotional reminders of what he had just endured. He could barely keep it up straight so he allowed it to fall into his hands.

Enveloped by quiet, Seth sat in darkness, allowing himself to get held hostage by his own thoughts. He felt lost, completely directionless even and it terrified him. He had no idea what came next and quite honestly, he still hadn't really accepted that he had just been treated like second best, thrown away like a bag of garbage. He still wanted to believe that he was on the top of the industry, just like he was before he had messed up his knee, before he literally became damaged goods and apparently of no further use to Hunter and Stephanie.

All of the negative things he thought about himself were coming back to the surface and he let them pour over him and cloak him in darkness. He had no reason not to. Hunter's actions, they spoke volumes. They were proof that Seth wasn't wrong to think the injury was it for him or that even when he did he come back he would never be the same. He pretended like he was a new man, with more self-confidence and bravado than he knew what to do with, but the truth was that it was all a mask, one that was peeling away rapidly tonight.

Seth needed their acceptance, he craved it really. And now that it was gone, now that Kevin Owens was the new chosen one, Seth was starting to wonder if everything he had done from the moment he chose the Authority and the championship glory over his best friends up until tonight, if it had all been worth it.

"Karma's a real bitch ain't it?"

Seth recognized that voice. He was just surprised to hear it. In fact, it was probably the last person he expected to be making conversation with that night.

"What the hell are you doing here Randy?" his head shot up, looking at the older man who stood perched in the doorway.

Randy just smirked as he scrolled his fingers along the screen of his phone. "Had to see a Beast about a rematch. Decided to stick around for the show."

"Oh," Seth replied bitterly, "I get it. You're here for the 'I told you so.' Well, you can save your breath because I already know. In fact, might as well get in line since I'm sure you're, wait, hold on," he paused as his phone vibrated in his pocket. "I should get this, never know maybe its Hunter calling to say he made a mistake."

Randy chewed on his bottom lip slightly. He knew Seth well, better than the Architect probably even realized. That's why he was able to best the man at his every turn when the two did battle in the past. It's also why he knew that Seth resorted to sarcasm when he was trying to put on a brave face, why he knew that behind those comments that the man had actually allowed himself to hope that the phone call or text he was receiving was in fact an apology from Hunter.

Of course, both of them knew there was little chance of that happening but in that moment, Randy knew Seth would hold on to even a fraction of that being the case. He knew all too well how the mind perceived things in a situation such as this.

Seth pulled out the device and Randy instantly saw that slight twinge of hope disappear from the man's face. Instead it was replaced by a dark laugh as he read the message to himself and then out loud.

"Ah yep, right on cue," Seth replied, as he tried to hide his disappointment. "This is from Dean and it reads: ' _HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. You got what you deserved you stupid jackass.'_ Looks like I've got about 10 more messages and I'd venture to guess none of them are people saying they are sorry for me. So yeah, if you want to join the gloating party, like I said, get in line."

Randy watched as Seth stood up from the bench, clutching his phone so tightly the man was sure it was going to break into a million pieces. The Viper just sighed. It was if he had stepped back in time and was looking at a mirror image. He couldn't enjoy this, not even a little because contrary to popular belief he did in fact have a soul and could in fact feel empathy. Besides, he hadn't showed up at the locker room where he knew he'd find Seth just to make him feel worse about what had happened.

There was no enjoyment after all, in kicking a man while he was down, especially when Randy knew exactly just what Seth was going through and knew he was in a unique position to possibly help ease the blow.

"I didn't come here to pile on," Randy said. "I actually came to give you some advice, ya know from one of Hunter's protégés to another."

"Yeah, well you can take your advice and shove it," Seth replied harshly. "I don't need to hear about how you feel bad for me because you went through the same crap. And I certainly don't need the reminder of how everything you said when you left the Authority turned out to be exactly right, down to the last detail."

Randy just nodded his head. He had actually forgotten the mean-spirited and spiteful words he had spewed at Seth right before the two had their Wrestlemania match. About how Triple H would discard him and replace him with a new NXT prize. How Seth was never worth anything to the man except a pathway to the title. How once Seth was no longer useful to Hunter that he would do to him exactly what he did to everybody else who was stupid enough to trust him.

Admittedly, there was no one he hated more at the time than Seth so the words were meant to sting and even haunt the man a little. Clearly, they had their desired effect.

And Randy knew he was going to be proven right because he knew Triple H. He just never expected that when that moment actually came that instead of reveling in it, he'd be the one offering the comforting shoulder the way no one had for him when he became the first in a long line of Hunter's victims.

"If you won't take my advice then can I least ask you a question?" Randy said.

"If it gets you to leave then sure, ask the hell away," Seth replied, clearly irritated. "I won't promise you'll like my answer though."

"Fair enough," Randy said as he finally made his way into the room, making sure to shut the door behind him.

"You go through the stages yet?"

"Stages?" Seth questioned. "What stages? What the hell are you talking about?"

"The five stages of grief: denial, anger, depression, bargaining and finally, but I get the feeling you aren't there yet, acceptance," Randy explained causing Seth to scoff.

"Why would I be going through stages of grief?" the younger man asked. "I'm a grown ass man Randy. I think I can handle someone betraying me. You don't see me crying over it do you?"

"It's not the betrayal per se that I'm talking about," Randy continued. "You don't grieve that."

Seth just rolled his eyes. "So what then, the title? What the hell is the point of grieving the loss of a stupid belt when I'm just going to get it back anyway?"

"No kid, not the title," Randy said, using the nickname he had given Seth back during their Authority days together, the nickname that Seth hated.

Instantly, Seth glared at the man. "Can you just make your point and leave me the hell alone already?"

Randy sighed. "The five stages of grief, you go through them when someone or in this case something close to you dies."

"I'm not an idiot Orton," Seth seethed, clearly in no mood to deal with whatever game Randy was playing. "I know the five stages of grief. I just really don't know what connection you are trying to make. No one died. Well, not yet. Because I'm going to burn this place to the ground and I don't care how many casualties it takes. I'm getting my hands on Hunter one way or the other."

Randy couldn't help but smile sadly. It really was just like looking in a mirror.

"I can understand you wanting to get your hands on that son of a bitch," he said. "But you're dead red right now and that's gonna get you in trouble. Believe me. You can't go after this guy from a position of weakness. You need to let yourself process everything first, to grieve your loss."

Seth had been pacing around the room but suddenly he stopped and came face to face with Randy for really what had been the first time since the older man invaded his private space not even 20 minutes prior.

"There you go again about this loss," he replied angrily, just about reaching the end of his rope. "Just get to it. What is this great loss I supposedly suffered? Because I can't grieve if I don't know what the hell I'm grieving and since I'm all out of answers, how about you tell me."

"You lost more than a championship tonight kid," Randy clarified. "And like you said, you'll be able to get that back. But what you'll never get back, what it is that I know for a fact you are suffering with right now is the loss of Hunter's mentorship. It's losing everything you had and everything you thought you knew up until that moment you found yourself on the wrong end of his manipulations, be it a pedigree or a thumbs down. You lost a friend, someone you considered to be a mentor, someone who you trusted had your back and would always have your back. No one expects you to just be okay with that. For all the crap Hunter pulled, I know you believed he actually gave a damn about you and hell, maybe he did. So when I say you're grieving, I mean the loss of that relationship. That's what died tonight."

Randy paused to take a deep breath, giving Seth some time to take everything in. He knew the younger man didn't want to hear him make comparisons between the two experiences, but he also knew in the end that was what he needed. Seth needed to see that this wasn't some one-time thing as far Hunter went. Sure he was aware of the stories with Shawn and Dave and Randy, but he never heard it from the man himself. He never needed to, not until now.

"And I know you don't want to hear this, but I know what that's like," Randy continued as Seth just stared off blindly. "I was at about the same point in my career as you, on top of the world. The euphoria I had at winning the championship for the first time was incredible and I have to imagine it's the same kind of feeling that went through your mind when Hunter held Owens in the pedigree position and you thought that Universal title was yours. But at the height on that mountain, the peak of my happiness, it all came crashing down. A simple thumbs down and I was on the mat, beaten and bloodied, all because he wanted my title. A simple pedigree and your head was pounding because he wanted the same thing. Hunter didn't care about what happened to either of us and I know you don't want to accept that, but the guy is who he is. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but Hunter was always going to discard you the way he's done every single person he's claimed to take under his wing, every single person who ever made the mistake of trusting him."

Seth was quiet. He really hadn't expected any of this tonight. When he saw Randy, he expected an "I told you so," but this, this wasn't it. This was the exact opposite really. Seth had never expected the older man would have opened up to him like that. And damn, he never expected him to be so insightful and so damn right too.

He kind of hated that part actually. Kind of hated how easily Randy managed to get inside his head and in most cases under his skin.

Five stages of grief. Seth never in a million years would have said he was grieving until Randy put it out there. But he was right. Those earlier emotions he felt, they all fit the pattern. Obviously Seth would never admit it to anyone but himself, but he had suffered a loss and he wasn't really sure what the hell he was supposed to do about it.

However it seemed Randy might and as Seth continued to try to understand everything that had happened, he was started to regret turning down the older man's offer of advice. There was no guarantee it would help but if anybody was in the position to give it, it would be the guy who went through the exact same thing not once, but twice.

Maybe that offer of advice was still on the table.

"I uh, suppose if you still wanted to give that advice I would at least listen," Seth said softly causing Randy to smile.

"You got it kid," he said as he put his arm on the man's shoulder. "Look at me okay?"

With tired eyes, Seth finally looked up at Randy allowing the Viper to see just how much pain was behind those brown orbs. Seth had just turned 30 but in many ways he was still the same kid Randy knew from their time in the Authority. He was still this naïve guy who believed back then that Hunter might as well have hung the moon and stars himself. But now, that view had been forced to change and Randy knew better than anyone that it would cause Seth's own views to change. And if the younger man was in fact anything like himself, the Viper also knew that Seth's ability and desire to trust people would drastically change to.

Randy hated that Seth had to go through this, that he had to learn the hard way that trusting Hunter was a mistake. It made him wish Seth had just listened to him when he gave that warning back at Wrestlemania. If he had, all of this could have been avoided.

And yeah karma was a bitch and yeah Seth had done some shady things in the name of the gold, but who hadn't and more importantly who wouldn't? Randy couldn't find it in himself to be mad at the kid for doing what he had done on more than one occasion and what he would probably do again if faced with the opportunity. So if anything he was going soft in his old age because he actually felt genuinely sorry for Seth.

Sure, they were combative and butted heads almost at every turn and there really was no love lost there but Randy saw a lot of Seth in himself. He saw a guy who could one day be molded into exactly what Hunter envisioned when he decided to give him the keys to the kingdom, keys Randy once had himself before it all came crashing down.

"I'm gonna tell you something that I wish somebody had told me," Randy finally continued as he collected his thoughts. "I know it doesn't seem like it now but what happened tonight is ultimately going to be the best thing to happen to you in your career. You don't need him. Hell, you probably never did. So use this as motivation. He thinks you're not good enough, show him you are every bit as good as he ever was if not better. He thinks you're not the guy to build this place around, prove to him otherwise. He thinks you're weak, so challenge him and beat him at his own game. Make him regret every single day the choice he made in that ring tonight. And then in 10 years when his old ass is still trying to remain relevant, when someone new has come along that is making his life a living hell and when he asks you to fight by his side to take down that threat to his power, do me a favor and don't make the same mistake I did. I know a part of you will think this is his way of making up for what he did, that maybe this time it will be different. But it won't. It never changes with him. So say no. It will be tempting and probably the hardest decision you'll have to make in your career but it will be worth it. Saying yes is letting him win again; it's giving him another opportunity to decide you're not what he wants, another opportunity to replace you when his newest NXT prize comes along and to decide that you're better off dead than alive, thumbs down as opposed to thumbs up. And trust me, I've been there twice. That day will come.

So here's the biggest advice I can give you Seth freakin' Rollins. Don't let this destroy you. Grieve over the loss. You're allowed to. You lost someone important to you, something important to you. And once you get out of that denial stage, when you get past being angry and depressed and bargaining to get back in his good graces, when you finally accept what happened, just know it's not you. I've been in the ring with you, I've gone head to head on the stick with you. It's not that you're not good enough. He's not good enough. It's not that you're not worth it. He's not worth it. And it's not that you're weak. He's weak. Just remember, the best way to get back at him, to beat him, isn't to punch his face in, although I'll admit it will temporarily make you feel better. But the real thing that will make you feel better is to be better than him and to be better than the guy he replaced you with. I have no doubt you'll be able to handle that."

Silence fell over the room as the two former stablemates just looked at each other. For everything they had gone through in the Authority, this was unchartered territory. Not once back then did Randy offer him advice. Instead he berated him, belittled him, and made him prove himself. Seth had never really thought about it until now but if Randy hadn't challenged him and pushed him to be better, he probably never would have been the champion he was. He would have been complacent to have Hunter and Stephanie fight his battles for him. They did, but that didn't change the fact that Randy had, in his own way, taught the younger man to always be on the lookout for that next obstacle standing in your path.

Somewhere along the line Seth had forgotten that. He had forgotten that he needed to stand on his own two feet, to fight his own battles. He had misplaced his trust in a man who he thought was always going to fight for him because at one time, he was the new NXT prize. He replaced Randy. He just never thought the same thing would happen to him.

"Thanks," Seth merely mumbled, still not sure what to make of Randy's completely uncharacteristic behavior towards him.

Randy just nodded. "You'll come out of this stronger," he promised. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get on the road if I want to make it for Smackdown tomorrow. You'll be okay kid. You'll be okay."

It didn't make any sense to him at that moment but for whatever reason those words seemed to do the trick. For the first time since everything that happened, he actually believed them. He actually came to terms with the fact that being alone wouldn't be so bad, that Hunter had made his choice and there was no going back.

Acceptance. It really was a powerful thing.


End file.
